On the Avenue.

Chapter 754 The Supreme Master of Shangqing

"King Chen invited me to drink wine, and I'll invite you to drink tea," said Emperor Gouchen.

Chen Shi reluctantly walked over and sat down opposite Emperor Gouchen.

Emperor Gouchen personally poured him tea and asked with a smile, "So, is King Chen rebelling against the Heavenly Court or the Celestial Court?"

"here we go again!"

Chen Shi knew that no matter how he answered, it would be wrong, so he simply remained silent. — Emperor Gouchen was clearly wavering, unsure of what to do, which was why he asked him how to conduct himself. In truth, Gouchen wasn't asking him, but rather asking himself.

Gou Chen's wavering stance made Chen Shi realize what it meant to serve a ruler like walking on thin ice.

"I wonder if Xizi has been sent to the Heavenly Court?"

Chen Shi's mind was wandering when a sudden thought popped into his head, "Why don't I worship the God of Wu and Yue to death too? If I worship him to death, Xi Shi will be a little widow. A pitiful little widow..."

Emperor Gouchen said unhappily, "...If you don't speak, are you trying to toy with me? Does King Chen think that my Wind and Thunder Cudgel can't shatter your skull?"

Chen Shi sighed and said, "Your Majesty is capable of fighting against beings at the Three Pure Realms, so shattering my skull would naturally be a piece of cake for you."

Emperor Gouchen said, "Since that's the case, why don't you answer?"

Chen Shi replied honestly, “No matter what answer I give, His Majesty will always have a reason to refute it. It’s not that I don’t want to answer, but that His Majesty is trapped in his own self-imposed limitations. If I were to be angered by His Majesty because my answer does not suit his taste, and thus die an unjust death, wouldn’t that be a terrible injustice?”

Emperor Gouchen remained silent for a moment, then said, "Answer me, and I will pardon you."

Chen Shi's spirits lifted, and he smiled, "Penglai West and Tianshiyuan are friendly neighbors. Has His Majesty ever been to Penglai West?"

Emperor Gouchen, losing interest, shook his head and said, "Penglai West is a place where even bird droppings don't land, defiled by heretics. I have never been there. However, in the early years when I established the Earthly Immortal Realm, it was the number one holy land in the world, and I visited it a few times."

"Your Majesty should make a trip to Penglai West."

Chen Shi sipped his tea, carefully considered his words, and after a moment of contemplation, said, “My Penglai Western Heretic Immortal Path has become a mixture of the two, possessing both the purity of the Immortal Path and the unpredictability of the Heretic Path. The Qi of Heaven and Earth is not purely righteous; it also contains evil and demonic paths. The disciples of Jin'ao Island do not only cultivate the Immortal Path; they also practice the Heretic Path and have achieved some success.”

Emperor Gouchen remained uninterested, saying, "The same is true of the Three Pure Realms. Disciples of the Three Pure Realms also study heretical paths, delve into supernatural powers, and frequently venture into the Dark Sea to search for the secrets of heretical paths. The reason I have a bird's beak, a blue face with fangs, and wings on my back is because my master tricked me into mistakenly consuming the Red Apricot of the Dark Sea in my early years, which is why I have become like this. That Vermilion Fruit of the Dark Sea also contains heretical teachings."

Chen Shi was unaware of this past event and inquired about the reason. Emperor Gouchen replied, "I followed my master to study Taoism in Zhongnan Mountain from a young age. When I was seven, my master ordered me to go to Tiger Cliff to find a suitable weapon to descend the mountain and rescue my father. I didn't find any weapon on Tiger Cliff, but instead found two red apricots. I greedily ate them and became like this. Later, when I went to see my master, he clapped his hands in praise and gave me the Wind and Thunder Cudgel. I was too young to know the reason, and later I learned that there were no weapons on Tiger Cliff. The reason I was sent to find weapons was simply to discover the Dark Sea Red Apricots and eat them."

Chen Shi provoked, "Is there still scheming between master and disciple?"

Emperor Gouchen said, “But I do not blame him. I am only seven years old and do not know anything. Without taking the red apricot, I would not have been able to save my father, nor would I have survived the war against Shang.”

He participated in the war against the Shang Dynasty at the age of seven, and by the time he was ten, he was on par with renowned new talents such as Erlang Zhenjun and the Great God of the Three Altars and Seas. His skills were extremely powerful, and he later became a saint in his physical body, which was also closely related to those two red apricots.

"Therefore, I have no objection to the external path. You just defeated the experts from the Three Pure Realms and the Western Paradise using the external path. You cultivate the external path and have achieved extraordinary results. Among the people I have seen, there is absolutely no one who can compare with you."

Emperor Gouchen said, "I have also studied the external paths, but not as deeply as you. You must have made some discoveries in Penglai West. Could it be that you have found the source of the Penglai West catastrophe?"

Chen Shi's heart stirred slightly, and he inquired, "Your Majesty has long resided in Tian Shi Yuan, which is very close to Penglai West. Do you perhaps know the source of the Penglai West catastrophe? Could you tell me about what happened back then?"

Emperor Gouchen, uninterested, shook his head and said, "Tell me first what happened to your Penglai West. If we are still alive, then we can tell you the story from back then."

Chen Shi did not press further, but slowly said, “My Penglai West is different from the Heavenly Court and the Immortal Court. All the holy lands, blessed lands, grotto-heavens, mineral veins, and spiritual springs in Penglai West belong to Jin'ao Island. Jin'ao Island disciples only have the right to use them. Penglai West has inspectors who assess the disciples' contributions and reward them accordingly. The greater the contribution to Penglai West, the better the holy land and the greater the blessed land. The same applies to cultivation techniques, spiritual springs, minerals, and so on. If someone leaves Penglai West, defectes, or dies, the holy lands, blessed lands, grotto-heavens, and other such things will be taken back to Jin'ao Island and cannot be taken away. Their places of Dao attainment and immortal mountains all belong to Jin'ao Island, not to them as private property.”

Emperor Gouchen closed his eyes and concentrated, seemingly lost in thought. After a moment, he said, "The Heavenly Court governs all the sacred lands under Heaven. It bestows sacred lands, blessed lands, grotto-heavens, mineral veins, and spiritual springs upon the immortals who possess fortune and virtue. Divine messengers inspect the merits of immortals and grant or take away these things according to their achievements. Is this acceptable?"

Chen Shi smiled and said, "Of course, it's not impossible. However, nowadays, the ones who occupy the most resources in the world are the Heavenly Court, the Three Pure Realms, and the Western Paradise, as well as the immortals under their command."

Emperor Gouchen was greatly encouraged and smiled: "Therefore, the Heavenly Court must seize what they have occupied."

Chen Shi said, "The Heavenly Court was established by the Three Pure Ones, and the Western Paradise also helped. They were originally the masters, so it's unlikely that they would submit to the Heavenly Court. There will inevitably be a fierce struggle between them. Another point is, will the Great Heavenly Venerable relinquish power?"

Emperor Gouchen was slightly taken aback.

He could understand the struggle between the Heavenly Court, the Three Pure Realms, and the Western Paradise. But he hadn't considered Chen Shi's last statement.

"The Great Celestial Venerable has little attachment to power."

Emperor Gouchen pondered for a moment and said, “The power of the Great Heavenly Venerable stops at the Heavenly Court. He is the Emperor of Heaven or the Old Man of Heaven in the mouths of mortals, the Jade Emperor of Heaven in the mouths of cultivators, the Great Heavenly Venerable in the mouths of gods, and the Jade Emperor of Nature and Wonderful Existence in the mouths of immortals. Although his prestige is high, it is only divine authority. Houtu has the power to govern the earth deities, the underworld, and reincarnation; I have the power to govern the armies and wars of the world; my brother Changsheng has the power to govern life, death, tribulations, thunder, rewards, and punishments; and my brother Ziwei has the power to command all the stars and gods and control the natural order of change. In addition, there are the various departments such as Dou, Lei, and Wen, as well as the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, which disperse the power of the Great Heavenly Venerable.”

Chen Shi said slowly, "However, the Eternal Emperor is dead, and one of the Four Emperors has already been eliminated. The Northern Emperor was assassinated, and Houtu lost a major support. If I hadn't taught Houtu the Primordial Talisman, she would not have escaped death either. If I hadn't intervened, two of the Four Emperors would have been eliminated in a short time. If I had come to Tian Shi Yuan to quell the rebellion this time, His Majesty would have killed me, and the Great Heavenly Venerable would have had a legitimate reason to eliminate you, and three of the Four Emperors would have been eliminated."

He paused slightly, then spoke frankly: "Your Majesty, if you are killed by the Great Celestial Venerable, how will your brother, the Purple Emperor, face the consequences? Will he rebel or not?"

Emperor Gouchen's expression shifted between light and dark.

Chen Shi said, "If I die at His Majesty's hands, will Doumu, Leisheng Puhua Tianzun, the Plague Emperor, and other former Jie Sect masters ruthlessly attack the Three Pure Ones? Will they suffer heavy casualties as a result? Will the Three Sovereigns, Five Elders, Nine Emperors, and Ten Ghost Emperors intervene to turn the tide? If any of them are lost on the battlefield, all divine power will fall into the hands of the Great Heavenly Venerable. At that time, with the Great Heavenly Venerable holding absolute power, will he still be a mere ornament worshipped by the Three Pure Ones?"

Emperor Gouchen remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Do you think the Great Celestial Venerable did this on purpose to weaken his own power? What benefit would that bring him? If the Three Pure Realms and the Western Heaven win and establish the Celestial Court, he will have nothing."

Chen Shi laughed and said, "That's beyond my knowledge."

Emperor Gouchen said, "So your guess about the Great Celestial Venerable is wrong!"

Chen Shi sipped his tea, lowered his eyes, and smiled, saying, "I am merely stating what I have seen."

Emperor Gouchen remained silent for a long time, picked up his teacup, but did not drink. He pondered, "If my guess is correct, then I will submit to the Celestial Court. Although the Celestial Court is weak, its Celestial Emperor possesses great talent and strategy, superb methods, and a tolerant nature, with many capable people under his command. We can join forces with the Three Pure Realms on the left and with the Western Heaven on the right. We can subdue the Celestial Court, kill the Great Celestial Venerable, and also bring the sacred lands under the Celestial Court's control, following the path of Penglai in the West." Chen Shi asked, "After the success, should we take over the sacred lands of the Three Pure Realms? Should we take over the sacred lands of the Western Heaven?"

Emperor Gouchen's breath hitched, anger rising in his heart and malice taking hold. He put down his teacup and roared, "Left is no good, right is no good. You traitor Chen, what do you want?"

His aura exploded, truly awe-inspiring and extremely fierce, befitting one of the Four Emperors!

Chen Shi was not afraid at all and sneered, "It is His Majesty who is caught in a dilemma, neither left nor right, not me. Does His Majesty intend to take his anger out on this traitor Chen?"

Emperor Gouchen's anger vanished instantly, and he burst into laughter at what he said, saying, "Indeed, I am in a dilemma, and I cannot blame the Heavenly King. Heavenly King Chen is a teacher who imparts knowledge, teaches skills, and resolves doubts. He is a Confucian scholar during the Shang Dynasty, and also known as a shaman. Could you teach me and resolve my doubts?"

Chen Shi suggested, "Why doesn't Your Majesty establish a partial capital in Tian Shi Yuan, just as I have established a partial capital in Peng Lai Xi?"

He patiently advised, "If we wait patiently for the right moment to unfold, there will always be a day when heroes rise up."

"Traitor!"

Emperor Gouchen snorted angrily, his murderous aura surging, and slammed his fist on the table, saying, "You truly harbor rebellious intentions!"

Chen Shi laughed and said, "Your Majesty is in a dilemma. Why bother with two rotten pieces of wood? Do you expect them to bloom? Why not start afresh and plant new seedlings? It's much easier than bringing rotten wood back to life."

Emperor Gouchen was even angrier, his eyebrows furrowing: "You are a traitor, but I am not!"

Chen Shi coldly replied, "If Your Majesty is loyal to the Heavenly Court, then you are a traitor in the eyes of the immortals; if Your Majesty is loyal to the immortals, then you are a traitor in the eyes of the Heavenly Court. Why not be loyal to your own heart and your conscience?"

Emperor Gouchen remained silent.

The two sat in silence. After a moment, Emperor Gouchen said, "My master has arrived."

He stood up, bowed deeply, and said in a deep voice, "Disciple Lei Zhenzi respectfully welcomes my esteemed master."

Chen Shi also got up and looked in the direction where he had bowed. He saw clouds surging in the distance, coming towards this side. The clouds rose and tumbled, like a ball of cotton, turning upwards and outwards. When they reached the top, they gathered back towards the center and sank downwards.

The rosy light shone through the clouds, forming five-colored rays that were segmented and not connected.

This is a radiant light.

Each ray of light testifies to a profound truth.

The light of the radiant light flickers and fades, just as the Great Dao itself is born and dies in cycles, truly mysterious and unfathomable.

Chen Shi stared intently, and saw a Taoist walking under the clouds, like a god in a painting, elegant and graceful, with three red moles between his eyebrows and a halo of light forming a primordial chaos behind his head. As he walked, the world instantly became colorful, with dragons and phoenixes dancing, green shade growing, and golden springs gushing forth. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth became exceptionally abundant, and one could hear the sounds of Taoism and smell the fragrance of flowers.

That Taoist was more unrestrained and otherworldly than any Taoist he had ever seen before, as if this was the kind of immortal that should exist in this world.

Chen Shi greeted him, saying, "Chen Shi of Jin'ao Island greets the Sect Master of Shangqing Realm."

The Taoist returned the greeting and said, "Yun Zhongzi of Shangqing Realm greets Master Chen."

The Taoist then looked at Emperor Gouchen and greeted him, saying, "This humble man, Yun Zhongzi, pays respects to Emperor Gouchen Shanggong."

Emperor Gouchen returned the greeting: "Gouchen greets Master Yun."

The three greeted each other as equals, because Chen Shi represented the lineage of the Master, Yun Zhongzi represented the lineage of the Lingbao, and Gouchen represented the Four Emperors of the Heavenly Court. Although Chen Shi was younger and Gouchen was of lower seniority, they still had to address each other as fellow Daoists.

Emperor Gouchen invited the two to sit down, brewed a fresh pot of tea, and asked with a smile, "Sect Leader Yun, what brings you here from afar?"

Yun Zhongzi's gaze swept over Gouchen, then fell on Chen Shi, and he smiled, "I heard that Master Chen was committing violence and harming people in the Heavenly Market, and that Your Majesty was aiding and abetting the wicked. Therefore, I have come to inquire. I wonder if Your Majesty remembers your long-cherished wish after the conquest of Shang, to arrange for you to enter the Heavenly Court and become the Great Emperor Gouchen?"

Emperor Gouchen's expression was solemn as he shook his head and said, "I dare not forget."

Upon hearing the word "朕" (Zhen, meaning "I, the Emperor"), Yun Zhongzi raised his eyebrows slightly, but his smile remained unchanged. He said, "I don't remember very clearly anymore. Please tell me, Your Majesty."

Emperor Gouchen said, “Back then, the leader told me that the Heavenly Court governs all the heavens and the land, controls wind, rain, thunder, lightning, the waxing and waning of the moon, and is of utmost importance to the well-being of the people and the rise and fall of the nation. It cannot be controlled by the gods of the Jie Sect and must be supervised by an immortal. The leader told me that you are a member of the Great Zhou royal family, and you have made great contributions in the war against Shang. Moreover, you are young, and the incense offerings of Great Zhou belong to you, even more so than the Jade Emperor. You are uniquely favored by Heaven and will surely become a great man. If the Three Pure Ones want to choose an immortal to supervise the Heavenly Court and limit the power of the Jade Emperor, there is no one else but me.”

Yun Zhongzi smiled and said, "I thought Your Majesty had forgotten what happened back then."

"I have never forgotten."

When Yun Zhongzi heard that he still used the character "朕" (Zhen, meaning "I" or "the Emperor"), his brows furrowed slightly.

Emperor Gouchen said, "At that time, the leader of the sect, for the sake of the country and the people, allowed me to enter the Heavenly Court and become Gouchen. Over the years, I have upheld the teachings of the sect, managed the wars in the heavens, and used few weapons. The Heavenly Market is thriving, and the people in the various provinces are quite prosperous. Until recently, the immortals caused chaos, assassinated the gods who governed my provinces, and coerced the cultivators of the various countries to attack each other, resulting in countless deaths and injuries."

His expression was somber and deeply saddened: "Did the Master instruct them to use this action to test my original intentions and force me to rebel against the Heavenly Court and the Great Heavenly Venerable? If the Master had not done this, I would have helped you out of consideration for our master-disciple relationship. Why did you have to destroy the entire Heavenly Market City to force me to rebel?"

Yun Zhongzi was silent for a moment, then said, "You have been sitting on the throne of Emperor Gouchen for too long, and you have been sitting on it for too long. I am worried that you have already forgotten your original intentions."

"So by disrupting the Heavenly Market Enclosure and causing each province to change hands and become the territory of immortals, I can make the Great Heavenly Venerable think that I am rebelling. The Great Heavenly Venerable will then order people to kill me, forcing me to rebel against the Heavenly Court and to seek refuge in the Three Pure Realms."

Emperor Gouchen said blankly, "If you come to Tian Shi Yuan and say to me, 'Lei Zhenzi, do you still remember my teachings?' I will then abandon the imperial seal and leave with you. Unfortunately, what you need is not Lei Zhenzi to return to the Three Pure Realms, but Emperor Gouchen to surrender to the Celestial Court."

Yun Zhongzi sighed, his gaze falling on Chen Shi beside him. He said in a hoarse voice, "I thought the person sent by the Great Celestial Venerable to quell the rebellion was Doumu or Leisheng Puhua Tianzun. I didn't expect the Great Celestial Venerable to be a cut above the rest and send Chen Tianwang, this unreliable contemporary master, whose actions are completely illogical. I made a mistake and that's why I suffered this defeat."

Chen Shi nodded to him and returned a friendly smile.

(End of this chapter)